The great Arsenal comebacks

First things first, Congratulations to Arsenal fans. You have now managed to stay alive to see another day. Y'all deserve it. Your team did great. But let's not get carried away guys... And girls. It is the comeback that was great, not you guys. And no... You do not have to tweet in reply to every Man United fan's tweets. Live your own lives. On to the post...

Giroud and Walcott single handedly changed your game. Walcott has got to get the contract he WANTS, and not the one the club wants to give him. He totally staked his claim. I thought it was crazy for him to play in corners but turns out the boy does actually have a footballing brain... Despite prior suspicions of having none af all. But he did well with his chipped goal and corner.

And Giroud... Ninja had over 5 chances in ten minutes after coming on. And had converted one of those. Premier league goals

Koscielny is also a proven goal-scorer. He scores spectaculars... In his own goal. Near post finishes have now become his thing. I dont even know why Arsenal is in short supply of goals anyway... If only they'd push him higher up the field. Hehe. That said, even Koscielny did well. One would've thought after the own goal he was finished. Nothing in his tank... Shock!

And to crown the night for these Arsenal ninjas... Chamakh scored! I know... Ridiculous. Some said it was the first time he shot anything goalwards for Arsenal... And he scored. A look on my twitter TL and it was clear even the Arsenal fans were appalled. Some actually started believing that the Mayans were actually right in their predictions. I wouldn't blame them either.

Others... Well. We get it. You guys were happy. I actually think Arsenal guys should be in the military. They are well qualified... What with the ability to survive all the torture that is support of their Arsenal. And they still come out happy.

There were tweets like "if you bring a gun, we bring an Arsenal". See, thats what am talking about. Arsenal fans would make good patriots if they channelled all that love into the country.

Another one said that instead of calling in sick, you call in well. We get it, Arsenal fans. We do. Congratulations. That was the first step towards getting any trophy. Winning matches. We hope you don't run out of gas midway though.

Brace yourselves for Manchester United versus Chelsea tonight. It could be a comedy like Arsenal's line up last night... If the managers decide to recruit people from other careers to play soccer, and also if Sunday's top of the table clash between these two is anything to go by. I expect Chelsea to come out guns blazing.

Just one question though... At 4-0 down, Arsenal fans said they were saying their team was 'reserving' goals to beat United this coming weekend... And they scored 7. Is it likely that they scored all their goals now and against United they wont score? No? Only the weekend will bear the results.

The post was about Arsenal... But we also spoke about other greater teams. Am sorry Arsenal fans. This was meant to be about you. Enjoy the glory that lasts till the weekend. Congratulations again. We haven't had a team score 7 recently in English football.

A week of awesome soccer action

The past week has borne some of the most exciting football action we have seen all season. Where do I even start? Kenyan Premier, English, Champions league...

KENYAN PREMIER LEAGUE:
On Friday night, I was having a chat with sports anchor, Mike Okinyi before I left work for the day, and he was talking of Gor Mahia leading the Tusker Kenyan Premier League and I thought... "These Gor guys are just too optimistic". I actually told him that. I hate to admit it, but it looks like Mike was right, even though that was a cheap goal(if it was in fact a goal). It probably wasn't but credit to Gor Mahia. You do not get such a goal if you do not create that chance. Credit also to Sserunkuma too The UG player has totally transformed Gor's season. Gor face Muhoroni. I think that will be an easy game for them with the talent they flaunt.

AFC Leopards are starting to realize that they might lose the title now, after some crazy weeks of poor form. It could be too late. Only time will tell though. It's two games to the end and anything can happen in football. Remember Arsenal lost to Birmingham in an FA Cup final, and Man United were thrashed 6-1 at home by the bitter rivals. Ingwe next face Mathare United. That will be a tough fixture. A must-win, and a tough fixture.

Tusker FC... they're still my most preferred title winners. Its sad they conceded that silly 'goal' against Gor Mahia. We demand goal-line technology in Kenya. Tusker play Western Stima this weekend. Very tough team, considering they hammered Ingwe earlier this season.

ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE:
We always like to come down hard on Liverpool fans because of their team's performances of late, but I can honestly say that this week, Liverpool played some great football. against Anzhi, they were composed and kept them out comfortably. Against Everton... they played even better football, created the scoring opportunities they haven't been getting lately, but they still lack one thing... LUCK.

Arsenal... they look to be taking Liverpool's place as the laughing stock of the premier league. Thing is they lost at home in the Champions league and played shit against QPR. And whats worse... they meet Manchester United next. At least they won their three points against QPR, so they won't feel bad if United beat them.

Manchester United.... faced by a worthy opponent, this team crumbles. But they are also extremely lucky. These are the kind to enter Safaricom's 'Bonyeza ushinde' and actually win the prize and use it to bribe the staff to pick them again in future. Am a United fan by the way...
We won our CL game against a stubborn Braga. They deserved to lose though. Nobody comes to OT and brandishes a City shirt just cause... That was only punishable by a painful winner. Against Chelsea... well, both red cards were deserved. We are in agreement, eh? Moving on...

Chelsea.... They were just a sad sacrifice in this war against Man United. They played some good football and exposed United on several occasions until their indiscipline side kicked in.... Hehe. These guys do not play like worthy champions of Europe. So unconvincing. By the way am inviting any opposing arguments on that issue. Only in the premier league do they play like prospective champions.

Let us just sit and wait for the weekend's fixtures for now. Especially the big match, Man United vs Arsenal. This fixture was always a big deal. Be it on a Sunday evening or Monday night fixture.... this fixture used to be watched as if the next day was a public holiday... people not caring whether they're working the next day.

Great Players Part 1

In a week where a lot has happened in soccer, racism, goals, Liverpool getting their first league win, Arsenal going back to losing ways, etc, it is hard to come up with something that interests people. Anyway, here I go....
Do you have that one player who you believe that no matter how hard the game is, no matter how pressured they are, no matter how shitty the team plays, they always come out on top? Hmm? There's that one player who you would clear your whole day's schedule for... Or just to watch the team, at least. These are the players who influence games so much, you would not miss the game. They make the game so beautiful you would tell your girlfriend you're staying at work late, just so you can hang out with the boys watching it, or lie to your boss the following day that you're feeling ill, just 'cause you stayed up late enjoying the game and catching pints. I can't pull that stunt though. That's just.... not right. I have a few players I enjoy watching play though. I will mention them.

We start with the usual suspects. CR7 and Leo. They are La Liga. ONE DOES NOT SIMPLY mention Spanish football and not mention how great (or whatever superlative you wish to insert) they are. They set the record... in the last two seasons, in the number of goals scored in a single La Liga season. For more stats about these two, see http://messivsronaldo.net/

It is the fans that are 'enemies' not the players

Messi: Incredible player, living legend. 188 goals, 70 assists for Barcelona in his last 180 games . 71 goals and 22 assists in 54 games in 2012 so far with3 months left. 268 goals for Barcelona in total including 21 hat tricks. Legend, eh? This guy creates goals out of nothing. Forget the fact that he is in an already great team... he always comes up shining brighter when things look gloomy for Barca. Case in point... his third goal in the 5-4 win against Deportivo.

CR7: Also made from the same stuff that creates legends. Not really the team player but you cannot blame him as he always delivers the goals. He wins matches, brightens up the atmosphere with his flair, and basically makes opposing players look very lazy. Ronaldo scored 46 last season. 12 appearances this season, 15 goals, no assists. Messi has bettered him by 5. Goal.com say at worst, he is the second best player in the world. His selfishness and ambition are what make him who he is. He recently has developed a certain understanding with Marcelo and most of his teams attacks come from the two. His stats and Messi's speak for themselves though so we cannot expound anymore

Zalatan Ibrahimovic. He was nicknamed Ibracadabra by his Inter Milan team mates. He rose into the limelight from playing in Italy. Won the Eredivisie twice(Dutch PL), Serie A 6 times(3 with Inter, 2 with Juve and 1 with AC Milan) and 1 La liga. Not to mention the Cup victories and personal awards. This is a player who has managed to shine, consistently at that, in some of the world's toughest leagues. He played for Ajax and starred, his performances leading him to be sold to Juventus, where he also starred. And when the team was relegated in 2006, he left for Inter Milan. He was, as expected, the star there too. He played the hitman, him and Adriano(remember him?). He was nicknamed Cereal Killer. Ninja grew too fat and unfit and eventually left Inter. But he's not Zlatan. So, after Inter, Zlatan was traded for Eto'o and went to Barca. he didn't have his usual season but he scored some good goals while there and then went back to Italy and played for AC Milan. he was again, their star man, overtaking the Brazilian duo of Robinho and Pato in the pecking order.

I read a blog somewhere that he is always that arrogant in real life. And that he is funny. I think Zlatan is a great player, no doubt. he is just at the wrong club, at the wrong time. You simply cannot overshadow Messi and Ronaldo. No way. He scores sublime goals, as demonstrated in the Euros, has some nice skills on the ball, and his power is just amazing. No matter how poor his team plays, national or club team, he always plays his game a notch higher and better than his team mates. You can read some of the Zlatan's quotes here http://www.ja606.co.uk/articles/viewArticle/160084. He's a funny guy

For the sake of not lengthening this post too much, and also because today is a Champion's league night, I will stop there. I will mention the others in future posts on the same topic. I look forward to watching Wanyama go against Song/Busquets or whoever plays at the centre of midfield.

The internationals rounded up + Harambee Stars analysis

Kenya: Our internationals can only be friendlies. Yes, We condemned ourselves to that fate. And number 128 is our FIFA ranking. That does not include the latest loss to South Africa. But we have been calling for changes in the management of Kenyan soccer for a long time and they were delivered. So, what is our problem really?

Okay before we go bashing on Henri Michel, that's his name BTW, the Kenyan coach, I think for his first game, he didn't fail us. He just needs to watch the players a little more and maybe he will make a more informed decision about player selection. Some players may need second chances to prove themselves when they're more comfortable with the players around themselves. Others... Well. They should just be given the chance to concentrate on their club football. Like Oliech. Or maybe we are just not playing him in his best position.. Like the bench maybe. I'll stop now. Let us just analyse some football for now.

Defense: Our Right Back. He needs to go. He made Wekesa look bad. That own goal, and SA's second, wouldn't have gone in if the right back had done his job to track the striker. So, in an attempt to save the already beaten keeper's blunder, Wekesa headed into an empty net.
Wekesa... He wasn't all that of a threat going forward. But he didn't let us down defensively either. So, i would suggest, if it were up to me, that he plays at Centre Back. He seems more comfortable there anyway and has the build for a CB. Besides... We need a competent left winger, and not an overlapping left back who fails us up there when you expect him to deliver

Midfield: Wanyama did good. I admit, it was the first time I actually paid full attention to him play for the Stars. His crossfield passes, his physicality. Great job. I liked how he helped the shaky defense too. Now we just need to have people who can run around him, and take the ball with them. That's important. Not just running around.
Patrick Osiako was good too. He just needs more playing time with the group and he'll be good. I wonder how Mariga will complement the team when he comes back.
That said... We still don't have the personell to get the ball into the attacking areas. Wait... We couldn't even get the ball out of our own half in the first period. We didn't make 5 continuous passes. I actually counted the number of times we made five passes. Not many

Attack: I heard that in the days before the match, the Frenchman said that Kenya doesn't have any recognized strikers. Am guessing that is why we didn't see Allan Wanga or Rama Salim in the squad then? Or perhaps am just speculating. I have seen our No. 9, Kahata, play before, back in my hood. Ok, in his hood. I do not live in Githurai. I live in Zimma. We used to go with our home team to play theirs. He used to be a tough nut for defenders. Oliech... Well at least he made that one good pass, that Kemboi almost converted and forced the keeper to save. Oh, and he scored the equalizing penalty too(pelanty, if you're on twirra). That was good for him... And for the team too. I remember at some point during the match, I was asking myself "when was the last time we scored?" and boom. Pelanty. Well dispatched by Oliech and Kenya is level with Bafana. Oh well. Then came the own goal.
Someone on twirra said "The way Harambee Stars is beaten around, you'd think we're MRC".

Elsewhere abroad, The Spanish and the French had a showdown to see who was more romantic. Bad soap opera that one. Good job by Ribery again. He was the only bright spark in that dull French display. It's no surprise that Giroud's assist came from him. Spain on the other hand dominated as usual. We are not going to start discussing them again. If you do not know them... Go sit at a corner and think carefully about important things... I cannot point them out though. Importance is relative.
England look to have regained their flair again(won 5-0 and drew1-1), and RVP his scoring touch(scored in his team's 4-1 win over some team). Japan kicked France's behind at the last. And Ivory Coast kicked Senegal's butt out of the AFCON. Cameroun amd Kenya have a thing... Or two in common. They are no-shows at the AFCON tourney. This and the last. Hehe.

We wait and see if we can build on coach Henri Michel's first performance. Lots of debuts, something we haven't been seeing with other managers, which is technically what we wanted. So, hopefully what we want is what is good for us.

The EPL resumes this weekend. I thought the international break would be a boring one. Time to pick those fantasy teams yet again. I have three guys injured and no free transfers. Trouble.
Peace

'

WE REMIND OURSELVES

First of all I salute you all in the name of the beautiful game and all that makes it so. Ronaldo, Messi, Scholes, Xavi.... OK, let me stop. I might mention all of the Barca players. I am no Barca fan. Neither am I a hater, don't get me wrong. Today... WE REMIND OURSELVES.

Remember the days when AFC Leopards and Gor Mahia were relegation battle material? NO? Me neither. Kenyan football was only for the players then. Even Kenyan media didn't cover it. They still dont. But look at the attention they have gotten since they changed managements. Now every mashemeji derby is like a publlic holiday. Cops are extra, fans even more. Lets now wait and see if either of them will win the title and then we shall have something to reminisce. In the meantime, Tusker FC are giving them a run for their money. I remember when they were fifth, and AFC looked to have a solid grip on the lead. I thought they'd never make it. Turns out Coach Matano is really just what they needed.

EL CLASSICO: Remember the post about Ronaldo that I wrote? Here it is: great players win, good players affect games I cannot go into the details again you can read it for yourself. I can only say a few words about the Classico. Heated affair. Barca and their flair play were all over the pitch running things, AS USUAL. And boy were they passing the thing all around. Let me tell you, if Real Madrid can change their formation when they play Barcelona(and mind you they are only one of the few teams who can beat the latter), then that just places Barca at the top of the food chain. 
One thing is a fact though; Real Madrid have one of, if not the best defenses, and attack force(ask City), in the world. Not many teams can keep Barca at bay like that, and still reserve the attacking threat that they had. They rode their luck although you could see they tried at least. 
That said, the fluidity of Barca last night night.... You cannot be a hater, honestly. Although Cristiano, aka CR7, and Messi(insert your favorite nickname here)stole the show from the others, as usual. Whomever you pledge your loyalties to, CR7 or Messi, you are in a lucky generation. One that got to watch two great players do battle. Remind yourself of that fact. You will tell your kids

THE MILAN DERBY: This used to be a great contest. The days of Ronaldo(Brazilian), then later Ibrahimovic, Adriano, Dejan Stankovic, Ronaldinho, Gatusso, Inzaghi, Zanetti, Maldini(remember him?) and the likes. I personally focused on it more during the days of Maldini(AC Milan) and Adriano(Inter). I made Inter my team henceforth on Play Station(am a PES guy btw) and yes, I was also a force to reckon with, on 'loser-pays'. People feared me. Until Manchester City rose to glory. Thats beside the point. The Milan derby was played on the same day as the Classico(7th October 2012) just in case you've forgotten yesterday's date). That went unspoken of. Anyway, Walter Samuel scored the only goal, as Inter were red carded but held on for the three points. These guys in Italy just love to play it rough. Remember those days? When football was football? And no referees 'protected' the players? Yes, we all do.

Moving on to the the juicier stuff. Giroud broke his Prem duck. yaaay! Hooray for Arsenal guys. Remember when Tottenham had gone winless against Manchester United at OT? Well, gone are those days. My friend told me to make sure I blogged it. Damn, that was a... different game. Tottenham really wifed us in the first half. 62% possession, 2 goals up. That was a tough reality. 
And Chelsea are having a great season. They are now not dependent on wingers, they have play-makers all over their mid(Mata, Oscar, Hazard) and engines in the names of Mikel and Ramires. But they have always been strong in midfield. And QPR... Remember the days they had a team, now they have a new full team and subs... and they're still rooted at the bottom of the EPL table. I think what they need now is a new manager. All in favour of having Mark Hughes sacked say AYE!!... sorry i forgot this is not Parliament and am not the Speaker. 

Do you remember the days when the Prem was graced by players like Dirk Kuyt, Fabrice Muamba, Ole Gunaar Solskaer and the likes? Kuyt, leave alone Gerrard, carried Liverpool on his back. Look where they are now without the man. Mwamba... he helped his team a lot. Sad he wasnt around to help them survive. Neither will he be there to help them back up into the Prem. Manchester United still remains the team to beat on the other hand. They've had no shortage of attackers. Though they will need a powerful man to take up the role of Scholes. Just like Barca will struggle to  replace Xavi, another great player.


DID YOU KNOW:
Sir Alex Ferguson took up the management of Manchester United at a time when they were in the relegation zone? 
Well, now you know. 



Our 'Know KPL Teams' blog just took a step closer. My friend @MikeOkinyi, yes, THE one and only Mike Okinyi, Citizen TV sports anchor, has agreed to do a guest post for us. Thanks in advance Mike, that'll be awesome. 

Also, our new website will be online hopefully.... next week. Its about time, eh?  We would want that 'Know KPL teams and their managers'
Lets talk football another time, good people.

Footie wrap: KPL, La liga, EPL

I will soon run out of catchy headers for my posts one of these fine days. I can see it coming. It shall be a very sad eventuality but that's not why we are here. And yes... I know. The website is still not up yet. We ran into slight problems but rest assured, its coming. We will be putting up the link very soon. Lets talk football then.

I start with the Tusker Kenyan Premier League.  In the last few days we have seen huge transformations on the league table. AFC were leading the pack on friday. By Saturday evening, bitter rivals and victors in the Mashemeji Derby, Gor Mahia were at the helm. Come Monday evening, Coach Matano's charges... Tusker FC, took the lead. They now sit 2 points ahead of 2nd placed Gor, and 3 points ahead of recently-dethroned AFC. i was arguing with a friend the other day. He kept telling me Tusker would eventually lead, but I just couldn't see them doing it. Well, if that was a money bet, I would have lost. I hope y'all have been following the happenings.

Moving on... new Harambee Stars head coach Henri Michel has started with a very attention-calling move. refusing to enter the Stars in the CECAFA tournament, saying that it is a useless cup. I would love to agree with him BUT there's the slight issue of the Harambee Stars being weaklings in other tournaments. so, the organizers of CECAFA have told Michel to show what he can do. I would like for him to do that too... considering his high salary. Apparently the ninja earns 750k, gets house and transport allowance etc. Living like an MP

EPL... Explosive Premier League weekend that was, eh? Arsenal managed a point against our noisy neighbours (no, I do NOT live in Manchester). Manchester United claimed a rare win at Anfield, after being 'married' by the Kopites for a while, and Chelsea beat Stoke... after recovering from a loss against Atletico. Just goes to show that thay they are more accustomed to playing shitty opponents like themselves, and not fancy playing opponents like Atletico... and Arsenal(wacheni niwabambe juu tu mlicheza poa). Great weekend that was.... I didnt watch any of the games. Am still looking for a good excuse for that.
My fantasy team. Cech, Ivanovic and Fellaini played well. But I just dont understand why Yaya wont earn good points. Also... I pick Rangel and Dyer, and then Rangel doesn't even play and Dyer gets red carded. Ain't that a female dog

La Liga.... Cristiano Ronaldo and Leo Messi keep running things. Even on boring occasions when Real are held to draws Cristiano shows he still is a force to reckon with. Case in pot... the champion's league game where he scored the decider minutes to time. It was hard to see Manchester City losing 2 consecutive games though. So I guess that's why Arsenal struggled to get that point. I know you're gonna ask why am talking about Manchester City in the La Liga paragraph... well, am sure you also asked how vectors in high school maths would eventually help you in life, but did that make your teacher stop teaching Mole Concept? Say it with me... NO, IT DIDN'T!

France... Ibrahimovic scores freely, and Oliech leads Ligue 2 in the assists chart. Also... M'vila is out of form. Aren't glad you didn't buy the nigga, Arsenal guys?  Hmm?

THE Football Ground up

Ground up, you ask why. Because we are doing an all round, from the grassroots(Kenya) to the cream of the crop(E.P.L) analysis.... or so I like to think of all the footballing action around us.Also, it shall be in no particular order.

The return of the prem. So recently European leagues took a break for the International fixtures for two weeks. Excruciatingly boring two weeks if you ask me. Premier league action resumed though, and boy was it everything we expected it to be! From Arsenal's demolition of premier league newboys Southampton, to Manchester's Wrath on Wigan, I think we all agree that it was way better than the international break. Even Chelsea and Liverpool fans with their draws will agree to it. Arsenal have rediscovered their form. Chelsea haven't recovered from the beating they received from Atletico. Liverpool... *whispers a prayer for them* I hope they don't get relegated. Manchester City... champions have to be respected even when they falter. Period

Further, apart from being the first weekend the EPL resumed, it was also a milestone in some way here and there. Lets just focus on United this once. 500 HOME games under Fergie. 700, 600 and 400 for Scholes, Giggs and Rio respectively. Narrow it down a little and we focus on Scholes. Ginger genius. Midfield Maestro. Genius. Call him what you may, but we all agree he is good. I dug up a little on him. turns out he always marks that hundred mark in a special way. On his 200th game, he scored an own goal. Must have been hard on him. But he has mostly positives in his career that am sure he doesnt even remember that one.

Scored two on his debut and one in every other hundredth game, apart from his 600th appearance. But he doesn't score too often so his goalscoring is clearly just a plus. His passing is what makes this tiny man a big gap when he lacks from the United line-up. And for that he has won everything there is to win with Manchester United. It is sad that he ended his England career so soon though. Here are a few words, by BBC Sports, in praise of this passmaster who we will all miss when eventually he does call time on his career.

Scholes was at the heart of United's revival, pulling the strings with his laser-guided passing and well-oiled repertoire of feints and flicks.
Perhaps we should have expected it, given he had found the net on his debut and his 100th game, then - after an own goal on his 200th - strikes on his 300th, 400th and 500th appearances for the club.
This was a landmark day for United. Scholes was making his 700th appearance in a United shirt and Rio Ferdinand his 400th, while Ryan Giggs took to the field for his 600th Premier League match. It was also Ferguson's 500th home league match - he had won 355 of the previous 499 (drawing 95 and losing 49). Ferguson is harnessing the past to shape the future. Tom Cleverley and others are being given the chance to learn from a man Zinedine Zidane, no less, described as "undoubtedly the greatest midfielder of his generation"

That's that. I dont think anything I would add would say it better than the facts presented above.But I can remind you of greater footballing action that is coming back... in the name of UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE!!!

Lets talk Tusker Premier League. That's the new tag on our Kenyan Premier League. An achievement on the part of Kenyan football. I always thought the entry of Supersport and Goal.com into Kenyan football would help this game. And with those, am sure Kenyan football will continue to make noticeable steps in progress. Hopefully all that money will be put to good use though. Otherwise we will remain where we are... under-achieving football nation. I was drinking with some friends who were former AFC Leopards players(didn't know until the other day) the other day, and according to them, no matter how good your season was as a player, if you didn't give the national team coach at the time a kickback, then you dont get to play for the Kenya team. 

Away from the grim news that is our reality, Gor Mahia look like worthy contenders for the KPL title. They have the Mourinho mentality(If we can't win, we can't lose either). Must be their new coach, Mr Logarusic. Credit to him. They weren't exactly relegation material but were not title winning material either. Was watching Supersport 9(kwa wenyewe of course, juu me bado sufferer) the other day, they had KPL coverage... Am talking comprehensive coverage, like the one they do before a premier league match. Good stuff really. Point is, that man Logarusic has really turned Gor Mahia's football for sure; from the training drills, discipline issues down to the football itself. You never really know what could happen in football but I think Gor are looking like likely champions this season. Lets wait and see if the others... Tusker FC under Coach Matano(very strict man by the way), AFC Leopards and Ulinzi will step their games up. If they do so, then ladies and gentlemen, we will have a contest the magnitude almost of the EPL last season.

I think we need a 'Know Kenyan football' article. So that we all can at least know teams in the KPL and their managers at least, if not the players. But, I think Supersport 9 is a good start. 

Also, we(@kevin_seth and @arthurnyoiks) have set up an account on twirra, @TweepsFC since we are also planning to launch our own website twitterfc.com to do basically what we are doing here. So, we look forward to gaining your support. Peace

Football rated R or F: REAL or Fantasy

With the European soccer season back, so is the fantasy football. I also signed up for the madness. Everywhere you now go, everyone is talking about how their fantasy team either lost or gained them points. Lets face it, no one wants to face reality anymore. Also, that's why we fap, so at least we can lie that we are getting laid. Also.... That's why after a match, we want to go and FIFA or PES to avenge for our teams losses accordingly, or at least that's what we think. Am a video game addict(recovering) myself and I admit on behalf of those who don't wanna come out, I like to do that. I play PS till my hands are numb. Kinda like fapping dont you think? Hehe

Still dont believe me? Still need another example? Ok... There are not many nice girls remaining out there right? Neither are great cooks, and sex machines(freaks if you will) right? But we still want a nice girl who cooks better than, if not as well as, our mums and is a beast in bed. Simply put, beast in a beauty. That shit doesnt happen in real life.... But it still doesnt stop us from wanting that all in one girl, does it? Even the girls dream of this kind of girl these days...some. But anyway, if you do find this elusive species of girl, lock her up in an unbreakable bubble or she will go

Now I know you're all wondering where the soccer comes in... Calm your horses. Or as Rio Ferdinand would put it, "don't get your knickers in a twist". Enough with the wise talking.

So, the point. Liverpool vs Arsenal is/was the point. Arsenal are known for their pretty football. Liverpool... Never mind. Well, they try. New manager Brendan Rodgers tried to pull an Arsenal on the Arsenal... Result... You all know it. Lost 2-0 at home. Now, Arsenal fans, don't celebrate just yet... Even you guys couldn't play the Barca game against the real Barca. There was a time Manchester United played pretty footie too... Like in the 8-2 game. And yes, I also remember City's 1-6. Point is... You dont play a game against its master.

I've made my point. Moving on, last week was my first on fantasy football. Scored a disappointing 35 points. Yes, am beginning to think it's really not my thing. There are even girls on that list who can arrange a better fantasy line up than me... But then, am a guy. I bet by the end of the season, i WILL come out on top. Men do not lose to women when it comes to football. That's our area, right there, eh? Unless she is Brazilian, and is our aforedescribed kind of girl. Then you just LET her win. Hehe

I hope you all are following the KPL. Goal dot com made it easier, Supersport also. They may be competitors but we are the gainers from all this. Kenyan football will grow. Speaking of Kenyan football, have you seen our youngsters in the Copa Coca Cola? Great stuff, eh? Well... Relatively. But at least they are trying. The KPL... the league is pretty much still up for the taking. AFC lead the pack by 4 points, while Tusker are second with 40 points but with a game in hand, and still a few games remaining to play. Hopefully, even our footballers can play Real Fantasy football. Peace.

PS: The soccer tweet up is this Saturday. It is a free event, and it is open to all. Here are the details... soccer-paranoia.blogspot.com/2012/08/september-soccer-tweet-up.html?m=1

WORLD PEACE... SOCCER AT LAST

World peace at last... or not. Soccer is back, been back for the last close to 3 weeks. Everyone is happy... except the hating ass soap opera loving gay homies, and the larger percentage of ladies. That's beside the point. Soccer is here and that's what matters. EPL, La Liga... the rest. And also promising, is this season's Champion's League.

Am really looking forward to see who the Manchester pair will draw. I hope City draw Barca or Real. Am still bitter that they pipped us to the title last season, and that Mancini did that 'yap yap' sign language at Fergie. Somebody needs to put them back in their old place. They seem comfy in their new place though, I acknowledge ... almost at the top of the league having won 2 out of 2 games, and 3 out of 3 if you choose to include the Shield. They have conceded 6 goals in the process though, which is a good thing. It shows they're not invincible(I like to console myself on behalf of Man United)

Arsenal still haven't found their rhythm back with their new signings,  after selling two of their greatest assets. Now, if Walcott and Vermaelen left, that team would be no different from Swansea, full of unknown talent. Liverpool, they continued where they left off last season. Playing well in their big games, and playing SHIT in the other games.

Chelsea. One word... Champions. Them boys are playing like they are being coached by Brendan Rodgers. Whats more... the drought is over for Torres. We are all happy for him, eh? Even those of us on a dry spell, eh? NO? I didnt think so.

Real Madrid and Barca renewed their rivalry. Real got lucky, that game could have ended with a higher score in favour of the Catalans. In the league... they only have one point, Barca 6. I dont think I need to tell you what happens when Barca establishes a gap between your team and them. And Messi is again continuing with his characteristic brilliant from. They definitely haven't started well. Neither have PSG, with all their signings(Ibra, T Silva and Lavezzi). They haven't won a game in three that they've played till now.

Signing of the summer.... Hazard, Van Persie, Kagawa or Song? I will let you chose. I know we all weren't happy about Hazard joining Chelsea(that's water under the bridge now) and neither we the Arsenal fans when RVP joined United. Here are some comments from twitter that day:

@njiiru

Rvp,1 good season & he's gone,it's like kibaki vying for U.S Presidency coz of thika superhighway 

@Brunye: RVP ni kama ule dame unamtoa ocha alafu akisha janjaruka,anaanza kukuambia "Your not my type!"  

@mainneli: My Girlfriend pulled an RvP on me,on her good season,she agreed personal Terms with my Enemy. 

@masaku_: Sasa instagram ya RVP itajaa picha zake next to trophy za manure kama ameeka gang signs like a G.  

KPL.... John Baraza continues to lead the scorers with 17 goals. I thought Allan Wanga could make it to top scorer this season. I was actually betting on it but it seems he never fully recovered from that injury when he came back. He has 6 goals. AFC Leopards top the league with 44 points. At the bottom, Oserian and Rangers FC with 19 and 20 points respectively.

Last but not least in other news, Harambee Stars have a new manager. Frenchman Henri Michel is the man charged with running the affairs of the national team. I hope he gets full co-operation from the people who run the football around here though. It is also good news that Manchester United, partnering with Airtel are sponsoring sports clinic in .KE right now. It shows at least they believe that Kenya has talent elsewhere, apart from only what we are forced to see. 

That said, I wish to remind you all about the Soccer Tweet Up on Saturday 8th September. It is a free event, so all are welcome to attend

September Soccer Tweet-up

September is here, Premier League Soccer is back. And so is our usual soccer tweet up. Every first Saturday of the month remember? This time 8th September at Kilimani Primary School, just past Yaya Centre. We decided to change our previous location... Slightly. Some of our friends thought Saint George Primary was a little too far from the road.

So, directions.... From town, board a bus/Nissan, Route No. 46, at GPO or Railways bus station and get off at Kilimani Primary School(just past Yaya Centre). It is on the road so you will not get lost.

So all you soccer loving fans... This is your time to shine. Hehe. Its a fun thing where we all get to socialize, catch up, play soccer and basically 'bust a move' on the other peeps. Later on we go for Lunch at Cactus(usually the best part since not every one might love soccer, but everyone loves food). It is a free event, and anyone, not necessarily soccer loving can come. That includes you ladies. Also... We don't do any lists...

If you need any more info, feel free to contact @kevin_seth or Myself (arthurnyoiks) and we will be glad to help.

We are also looking forward to setting up our own site(soccer paranoia KE) to blog about about soccer, results, transfers, reactions etc. Somebody has to do this 'dirty work' at some point,eh?

Looking forward to seeing our regular as well as new faces.

Of Premier transformations

 The wise people said 'if it quacks like a duck and walks like a duck, then it definitely is a duck'. With the Euros, Olympics and pre-season friendlies over and done, the premier is shaping up into something potentially very interesting over the next few weeks. With the new signings, new injuries(Wilshere, Ledley King and the other weaklings), potential returns of stars(Fletcher, Anderson, Cleverly, Diaby, Bent etc), new managers (BBC says 6clubs changed managers in the EPL... Chelsea, Liverpool, Swansea, Aston Villa, Norwich City, West Brom... oh and Tottenham. Thats 7 if you ask me).

The battle for the Top 4 hots up this time... with Liverpool having signed a midfielder(Joe Allen) and a striker(Fabio Borini). If you recall they lacked someone to lead the team the middle in the absence of Gerrard and a striker as they were too dependent on Suarez. I think their fortunes will probably change for the better now though I don't see them winning the EPL.

Tottenham Hotspur look like they strengthened their midfield even more. Looks like they realized having to depend on the injury-prone Huddlestone can prove frustrating. And they also signed Vertonghen for centre back following Ledley King's retirement due to frustrations in his injury-plagued career.

Chelsea... they are clearly phasing out their old guard. I honestly dont see Di Matteo winning it with these youngsters, just yet at least. They are yet to gel, and the old guard(Lamps, Drogba Terry et al) used to deliver anyway. That is where AVB also went wrong.You cannot phase out experience all at once for energy and flair

Arsenal.... After their beloved captain came out and said that the club had no ambition, they went out and signed Giroud (French Top Scorer and League winner), Podolski (FC Cologne's top scorer in a poor season) and Santi Cazorla. In my opinion... they are all average. Take the French Ligue 1 for instance, its not that strong a league is it? Podolski... he may be different, yes, but he couldn't save his former team from sinking. Cazorla... if he really is THAT good, why haven't Barca signed him? See where am going with this? But then again, it is Wenger's tradition to 'build' stars for other teams. I do believe they will flourish, though not this season. Top 3 maximum. I also enjoyed watching Diaby playing during their pre-seasons. He always looks very sure on the ball. Hopefully he can take over from Song, if his injuries dont come back to haunt him again... seeing as Wenger has made him a star for Barca.

Manchester United... Signed Kagawa(great midfield talent this one), Powell(I think he is a striker) and that other random striker guy... Henriquez. Really? Do we really need a striker? Either Fergie is growing too old for the game(which I doubt) OR... a formation change is about to take place. And an attacking one for that matter. But the problem with that is that it could be unfair to some players.
Take 4-3-3 for instance. Scholes definitely starts, eh? Him and Carrick. Then Kagawa, since he has flare. What happens to Fletcher, Anderson and Cleverly and Ashley Young? But I can see why he hasn't signed any other midfielders. The team is obviously full of depth if Sir Alex plays 4-3-3.
Striking... assuming Valencia and Nani are promoted forward to supply for Rooney/Van Persie or whoever... what happens to Bebe, Macheda, Welbeck, Berbatov, Nick Powell? And if Valencia and Nani are not promoted forward, then that leaves them in a very tricky place since they are wingers and not central midfielders.
Lets talk about injuries... They really had them exposed last season. Influential captain Nemanja Vidic is now back. So are Anderson, Cleverly and Fletcher. Imminent returns of Jones, Smalling and the probable rise of a home-grown left back who could eventually be Patrice Evra's long term replacement, going by the name Blackette, are a sign that there could be better things to come.
The Red Devils look stronger, but I dont think City will make it any easy for them.
They could reclaim the title... if Manchester City's stars falter along the way

Champions, Manchester City.  I write about them last because they are champions, and they are definitely NOT least. First of all, they may not have signed any big players just yet BUT... that also comes as a hidden advantage. See, they wont have to wait for their team to gel, they just have to pick up from where they left last season.. and it looks like they are already up to the task. case in point, their strong pre-season games. Tevez is back.. with a vengeance. He scores, he assists, he runs the game. I don't need to remind you of the lethal combo they form... together with Balotelli, Aguero, Yaya, Nasri and Silva. They signed Jack Rodwell from Everton the other day. I dont see him coming above De Jong or Andy Johnson in the pecking order just yet. They are arguably the best with their stars on form.

On the other end of the table, I see Swansea struggling after selling two of their midfield dynamos, Sigurdsson and Joe Allen. I also foresee QPR and one of the new entrants struggling...

The Simple Difference

There have been forums on this here Twitter that have sought to bring people together based on their interest. There are those that love their poetry, they used to be those who played their chess and scrabble and well not to forget those who love their blankets soaked in wine.

The masses however are those that love their football. They have their teams in their twitter bios, they make memes, they curse in caps when their keeper blunders and they tweet with billions of exclamation marks when their favourite strikers score.

We came up with an idea to call up tweeps and play some football. There was banter about fans of the big four teams in the EPL playing against one another. The hype was there but it didn't materialize. All hope has not been lost though. So far we've had three games played. Guys have shown up and it has been fun. This can be improved on to say the least. Tell your friends to tell their friends to turn up.

Well the dreaded and most useless part is that whole talk on the TL of how a tweet up went by talking crap about how people look like, or walk like or even talk like. We're all grown ups. Keep the scrutiny to yourself (if you have any) and be content with what/who you are. The aim to this is to become the simple difference.

That aside, things seem to be looking up. We're into single digits people. 9 days to the Premier League kick off. Prepare your joys, tears, sweat and blood because it will be another interesting season.

AUGUST TWEET UP: The Result

Saturday 4th August...And the long awaited day of the Tweet Up is upon us. What looked like the beginning of a boring day began. Only few people had arrived(five to be exact) by midday and the weather didnt look that friendly. On the pitch at that moment.. @kevin_seth @doogie @shiroh101(who wasnt playing but yes, there are soccer loving mamis), myself and two other guys.

The mamis present that day

12:30 ninjas began arriving, one by one and before we knew it.... GAME ON!!

And the soccer was played... Dimba ikagaragazwa. By halftime... @kevin_seth's side led 5-3. Free scoring bagas....

Ki_Bet... Luis Nani on the Wings

Halftime... Doogie provides energy drinks. Shiroh101 provides soda and everyone is re-energized. Then, enter @sirfender and the game changes. From being one-sided to... The other-sided. If there is anything of the sort. My point is, power shifted.

The control was back in our posession as Sir Fender controlled affairs from midfield going forward, and Artur being able to help out elsewhere on the wings. Kibet was our Luis Nani, with Flair on the wings and his brilliant passes. To be fair though, Kevin Seth's team were also a real threat coming forward... With Kevin, Doogie and @Sleven_kalevra aka Anto running riot at times.

SirFender... asset in any team

There were moments of panic though when the game had to stop because of what threatened to be horrifying injuries. DingoKG looked to have passed the test of metal by chesting a huge stone... Him and another friend of ours, Davie. Tali also felt that since he wasnt getting enough of the ball, he had to kick at something. Poor boy, he took a rock to the shin. All in all, all injuries were minor and manageable.

The remaining crew.. after most had left

Later on, we all headed to Cactus... An eatery joint near Yaya Centre for lunch. All in all, it was a good day, well spent. Sad we couldnt capture the moments on the pitch as we all were involved in play. Many thanks to all who showed up, mentioned, unmentioned... And even those off twitter(Tali, Davie, Mike, DingoKG, Joel and the rest) and the ladies too.

The only downside was the body pains that came afterwards from three straight hours of play. I hope everyone is fine now

GREAT CAPTAINS: HOME AND AWAY

The upcoming premier league season will be bigger, better and much more interesting than last season, at least I think so. Yes, I know, we witnessed a new winner after a very long time, and yes, the premier league was won on the last day having gone all the way down to the wire, but I still think the battle-lines are already being defined. From the imminent departure of captain Robin Van Perfect(for Man United), to the signings of Kagawa & Hazard, to the awarding of a six-year contract to Vincent Kompany. Lets not forget the other potentially big deals coming up... Modric, Baines et al.

Influential Captain Kompany

Lets talk about captains though. They're important. They're influential. They lead by example. Everybody knows that right? Remember when Vidic got injured? See what happened to United... they conceded and kept conceding and lost the title to City eventually. Think Barca... Puyol got injured, Barca lost the title to Real Madrid. Look at Manchester City... Kompany got appointed captain, and the boy has led that team to their first title since 1968. I think we are now on the same page.

Lets narrow it down and talk about Kompany. The boy just signed a new six-year contract to keep him at City till he is 32. For a club(Manchester City) to show that much faith in a player(the captain, the leader, the Kompany), is reward enough for him being so influential. And deliver he has. Remember how he got the captaincy? Let me run that by you... Toure was made captain on signing for City from Arsenal, and then he was involved in that doping saga, so he was dropped as captain, upon which Tevez the prodigal son was appoined. We all know his story, don't we? Yeah... so in his absence, guess who was appointed? The Kompany. He's the only one player, who was not signed by Mancini, who has been shown favour, and still remains in the team. Think of Adebayor, Kolo Toure, Micah Richards, Mwaruwari(remember him?), Wayne Bridge. Even De Jong saw the better part of the bench for most of the second half of last season. The City captain is confident that he and Kompany(get it?) can build on last season's win. And I wouldn't doubt him. I just don't think United, Chelsea and Arsenal will let them

Closer Home... The Mashemeji Derby(GOR MAHIA vs AFC LEOPARDS) is around the corner. This is a rivalry that goes all the way back to when our grandfathers were still young men. It was a duel between Luo and Luhya. It has since become the biggest match in Kenyan football, since the tribal factor is gradually fading away, and the clubs are signing players from various parts of East Africa. Every time these two great rivals meet, it becomes a heated affair, as in every derby worldwide, with each one wanting to come out with the upper hand. It gets ugly at times. It has been suggested that extra security be provided during duels between these two rivals as some fans take it as the perfect time to wreak havoc.

The Mashemeji Derby

And as such, sometimes, it comes down to the captains of these teams. Remember the last time these two great rivals met? I'll refresh your memory. Most people in Kenya wanted Gor fans to be banned. Remember the clash at the stadium when the Gor fans started hurling stones into the pitch? It was the Gor captain who spoke to them amicably and they eventually stopped the chaos. And for that... we should respect and honour all responsible captains. Am sure our friend Carol Radull knows the guy and will pass our regards, right Carol?

So, to all who will be attending the Mashemeji derby, all the best. Enjoy the game. Most of all, be safe. That said, I cannot wait for the EPL to resume. The Supersport analysis is one of my favourite segments of soccer. 

Also, do not forget about the August 4th soccer Tweet up at Saint George Primary, Hurlingham. Its a free event, just show up, play soccer, meet and socialize with other peeps. Thats all. 

Enjoy yourselves. Lets talk more football another time, eh?

SOCCER TWEET-UP AUGUST

Are you bored with all the transfer rumors? Do you want to see real soccer? Do you wanna play soccer? Do you wanna meet soccer loving tweeps and socialize? Well if your answer was yes to any of the questions, then this soccer tweet up is for peeps like you. We love to watch, and love to play soccer... and socialize.

Saturday August 4th is going to be the next soccer tweet up. Royal Media staff and a few tweeps will be playing at Saint George Primary School. Arrival time is 11.00am and the games shall continue till about 2:30pm. Come meet and play against some of the tweeps you love to see on your timelines. The last time out we had so many I couldn't give them all a personal shout-out here.

Saint George Primary, for those who do not already know, is right next to Saint George's Girls High School. To get there from town, board a Number 8 or Number 46 matatu and alight at Chaka Place. From there, ask any one of the taxi guys where it is and you shall be directed. Its not too far from there. So... a brief run-down of that Saturday.

DATE:         4th August 2012
VENUE:     Saint George Primary
TIME:         11am to 2.30pm

PS: Bring a friend. The more the merrier. 

Remember, this is an open event and anyone(all genders) can and should feel free to attend. No money required... just your fare there and back to where you came from. Hopefully we will recover quickly from the soccer withdrawal soon. Feel free to contact @kevin_seth @sirfender or myself, @Arthurnyoiks regarding the tweet up. We are glad to help

The Extra-Terrestrial

The curtains have fallen on yet another illustrious career at Old Trafford. Plaudits have been coming through and I have felt that it would be less than philosophical if I wasn't to join in on them.

Ji Sung Park is the man, has been the man for Manchester United for the last seven years. He was the big game player for the Red Devils. Sides he tormented were the big boys. Running tirelessly around the Chelsea midfield, bossing around a subdued Liverpool team and to Arsenal he was a nemesis.

One of the things about him was his running. He kept going, and going, still going. A third lung, that's what they say he had. He rarely tired, and if he did it was because his opposition had already been substituted. His work ethic was impeccable. Any big game and right up there on the team sheet would be Park, along with Fletcher.

Humility to Park was a second nature. Never in the headlines for the wrong reasons but always for the right ones. He became the first Asian to win the Champions League during the 2007/2008 season albeit having been left out of the team by Sir Alex (a decision which he confessed was one of the hardest he had ever had to make).

And as if club football for Manchester United was not accolade enough, the Seoul Assassin went on to play 100 games for South Korea. His performances at the 2006 World Cup took South Korea to the quarter finals where they lost to finalists France. Fast forward to the 2010 World Cup where as captain of the national team he scored crucial goals leading the South Korean team to the round of 16.


 But nothing lasts forever. The time for a move has come, and he has taken it. QPR have struck gold in signing the hard working player. Off the bat they should just name him captain and try and bring glory to a captaincy that had recently been maligned by Barton.

As football fans, and especially Manchester United fans we wish him all the best in his endeavors  as he is one player who puts his all for the team.

J.S. PARK -_-

OLYMPICS FOOTBALL: Spain favourites again?

After claiming three relevant titles in succession, the out-of-this-world Spain team will be looking to extend their world reign even further when the Olympics games begin. I have to remind myself that am not a fan of theirs every time I find myself attracted to the poetry-in-motion kind of football that they play.

Forget the fact that a good number of them are from Barcelona, think about how much they have matured as a team.
Torres... rose through the ranks at Atletico Madrid, then joined Liverpool, and then became the most expensive commodity in English football when he joined Chelsea. Lets face it, you do not move to clubs of that calibre if you're not good. And he did repay his manager's faith well. Scored 3 goals when it was apparent that Spain would suffer without Villa
Fabregas... I can only say one word for this lad.... MATURITY. Leaves Barca, joins Arsenal, becomes very integral there, gets loved by the fans, then rejoins his boyhood team. He doesn't really pose that athletic figure of CR7, Torres, Balotelli etc. He's just a humble kid who plays some real good football. Plays a number of positions, CMF, DMF, Striker, Number 10 and he has delivered in all of them.
Silva... He was just another guy in the Spain squad, mostly starting on the bench. Now look what his move to Manchester City has turned him into... a star.
Alba... His left-back spot used to Capdevila's, if you remember, and now he has taken that spot from him. Plus he has just signed for Barcelona. Could life be any better for him??

The only person I don't see making it back into the squad is Puyol. As I mentioned earlier, it looked like Spain would struggle without Villa and Puyol, and well... they scored the most goals in the tournament, and conceded the least. In fact if I'm not wrong, the only goal they conceded was against Italy in the group stage. See how much better they get? Villa could still make it back... he is a goal scoring machine, everyone knows that.

In other news, a few days after Van Persie announced that he wouldn't be renewing his Arsenal contract, Marouane Chamakh is also looking for a move away from the Gunners. He wont hurt them much, that I know. Another player that is hot property right now is Modric. real Madrid want the kid so much... but if you ask me, that's the wrong career move. who is he going to bench at Madrid? Khedira? Alonso? The onlt way he can fit in is if Mourinho changes his formation and have him play as a Number 10. Inter Milan have released Lucio and Forlan, and the former immediately joined Juventus while the latter went to Brazil.

Back to Kenyan football, it looks like Gor Mahia are starting to get their form back and are going up the table again. They beat KCB 3-1 at city stadium. Midweek fixtures this week:

Wednesday 11 July 2012

Mathare United

v

Sofapaka

Nyayo

19:00

Friday 13 July 2012

AFC Leopards

v

City Stars

Nyayo

19:30

SOCCER Lowdown Post-Euros

While we were away, a whole lot happened in the football eh? AVB joined Spurs, Alba ditched United for Barca and Van Persie revealed he wont be playing for Arsenal another season after his contract expires. Now that... if you chose to overlook Spain's Euro 2012 victory, is cause for heads turning. before we turn heads... I know, we have not spoken football in a while. But here we are again.

So Spain won the Euros, and in emphatic fashion. Haven't seen such a convincing win in a long time. Although Spain did thrash Ireland 4-0 in the group stage. I have to be honest, when that match started, I wasn't in support of Spain but... things change. I enjoyed that match. Although I also felt a little pity on the Italians. You don't get to the final if you're a nobody, so for them to be punished like that... Spain had to be on another level of performance... they always are. WE ALL AGREE.

Elsewhere, Armin Van Buuren, hehe, just kidding... Andre Villas Boas is now Spurs manager, replacing the sacked Redknapp. Here's my concern, If Redknapp was fired, even after his team had qualified for Europe, how will AVB cope, especially with his managerial rookie mistakes? Also... will he sell Redknapp's stars? He has already signed Gylfi and I think it would be interesting to see how the future of Bale, Modric, Van Der Vaart looks like.

Arsenal: The future doesn't look to bright, neither is it too bleek for them. They have Podolski and Giroud if their problem is a striker. But if they're talking about how fond they had grown of RVP, then that's a problem. See where am going with this? Well, wherever he ends up, City, United, Juventus, Barca or even if he chooses to remain at Arsenal, I hope Giroud and Podolski can get RVP's goals.

Elsewhere on the transfer market, European clubs have been on a roll signing new players. PSG have snapped up Lavezzi from Napoli(I've already tried him on PES2012 ), Lucio left Inter for Juve, AC Milan snapped released Nesta and Seedorf and got the services of some youngsters. Juventus look like a more serious  prospect for next season. I also read that Inter is almost falling apart and that Diego Forlan will also be released.

In totally unrelated news... the SOCCER & SOCIAL soccer tweetup will be coming back again so keep your eyes out for the next one. Once I consult with some of the other guys, I will inform you football lovers.

EURO & KPL standings

Let me start by saying that I feel so disappointed by England's exit...although they didn't really play like semi final material, did they? Seriously... at that level, any team that wishes to be associated to being champions of Europe cannot be playing like that. Basic football like keeping the ball cannot be overlooked. And speaking of basic football... look where that has gotten the Germans... far. Simple football. Basic passing. As for England, they wanted to rely on long-ball tactics, and we all know how that went. They also needed Chamberlain(I accept, Ashley young was poor). I don't see how Germany wouldn't have deflowered them, just like they did in the World Cup, in the semis if they had made it. And so... despite supporting England, am actually happy they were spared humiliation at the hands... or feet of Germany.

Can we talk about racism? All along the English fans have been commended for behaving well during the Euros... well, up until they were eliminated last night. And then.. all of a sudden, black people cant shoot penalties. If you have been following your timelines, well then you will notice that something of the same sort has been happening. Ashley Young and Cole have been criticized for missing their penalties in their loss to Italy. Before the football began, it was there... now that its over, for some teams.. its back. I rest my case.

SPAIN vs PORTUGAL: I'll still stand my ground. The only way to beat Barcelona, sorry Spain, is to pack the midfield. Have enough men in the midfield to neutralize, frustrate and attack. Change the formation if you have to for that game, like Italy did in their opening game against them. Play 3-5-2 if you have to. Speaking of which, I think France failed in their tactics, playing two right backs and Malouda when they faced Spain. Obviously those are wingers, and you're not going to beat Barca like that. Nasri and Alou Diarra would have helped the invisible M'Vila in that game. That said, I think Portugal already have a strategy to beat Spain

GERMANY vs ITALY:
I think Italy will make a worthy opponent against the Germans. They haven't had real competitors all this time. The only image of a threat they faced was a disoriented Dutch team. Italy... they're no push overs. Croatia and Spain will tell you that. Germans... we've all seen them. They were too strong for Portugal, overpowered the Dutch and were too good for the Danes. It looks like a promising encounter.

Elsewhere, the Kenyan Premier League second leg is underway. Tusker, Gor Mahia, City Stars and Ulinzi Stars got off to winning restarts and Tusker are back on top of the table. This is how the top half looks like...

	Team	P	W	D	L	Pts
1	Tusker	16	9	5	2	32
2	Sofapaka	15	10	2	3	32
3	AFC Leopards	15	8	4	3	28
4	Ulinzi Stars	16	8	3	5	27
5	Thika United	16	7	5	4	26
6	Gor Mahia	16	6	5	5	23
7	Western Stima	16	6	4	6	22
8	Karuturi Sports	16	5	7	4	22													More football another time people. Have a nice time

GREAT PLAYERS WIN, GOOD PLAYERS AFFECT GAMES

Lets talk about Cristiano Ronaldo.
Did anyone see his celebration? I think the boy was fondling a pair of imaginary boobs, or telling people that he is a monster. Sublime performance by the guy last night to put his team in the semi finals. That was a brilliant header. And I think he intended to score like that. Remember Croatia versus Spain in their final group game? They had two chances to score with headers but ended up heading straight at Casillas. My point... Ronaldo is a genius. Lets just put Messi out of the picture for a second here. He is class but Ronaldo is class too. How many players can do that? Not many. And that goal was the difference. I read a lot of BBC Sport articles everyday, and one of them had Czech republic manager saying that his team failed in stopping Ronaldo. Yes... this man is hard to keep a mark on. He runs, he jumps, he shoots... sometimes dives but very few can argue about his talent. My friend @DingoKG wanted me to do a piece that recognizes this man's skill... he does. I could say much more to convince, but I know even his haters know too much of him, even Barca players if asked will admit that marking him is hard. Let's not forget he is now joint top scorer in the Euros with 3 goals alongside Gomez(Germany), Mandzukic(Croatia) and Dzagoev(Russia). He led his team well beyond the Dutch with a double and his header against the Czech.

Elsewhere, Germany face Greece. This is supposed to be a great match for Greece. For the rest of us neutrals, Germany is gonna have an easy day on the field. But for the Greek, who are seeking funds for an economic bail out from germany, I hear its a big thing. Loved the cartoon depicting the Greek players wearing German jerseys on (just because the Germans funded them)BBC SPORTS earlier today. I predict a low score. Germany could win this with a one-goal margin.

I personally think the Spain vs France match will be a good match. Both teams can pass the ball around. Spain have a reputation to maintain while the French want redemption from their recent shortcomings.Of course Spain have gelled seeing as most of them play in the same league, so they know each other. France... well, you saw how they played against England and Ukraine. They are not too bad. I foresee a 2-1 win for Spain

England versus Italy. This could be a boring affair. But then again, the midfield battles look promising. Since both teams are practically not flare-playing teams, and they both defend, I see a midfield duel will win or help to win this match.
ENGLAND: Gerrard and Parker. 
ITALY: De Rossi and Pirlo.
Gerrard/Pirlo is the genius who does the fancy delivery. De Rossi/Parker tough tackler who breaks up the beautiful play.
And then they both rely on their wings for speed. I won't predict the score for this one

Before I sign off, a few words about the maestro that is Cristiano Ronaldo aka CR7:

Czech Rep. manager, Michal Bilek: We really prepared hard to cope with Ronaldo, but he is a player of the greatest class
"There have been a few good players but, if we are talking great players, then ronaldo is a great player. Great players can WIN a game, good players AFFECT the game." a former England player when asked about any bright players in the EUROs

In other news... Shinji Kagawa is officially a Manchester United player today. Mark the calendars people. Keep enjoying the games people. More football another time.